Ithaca wins at Union, 17-3

SCHENECTADY, NY -- Senior running back Rakim Jones rushed for both touchdowns and senior linebecker Jake Santora had 14 tackles including three for losses to lead Ithaca College to a 17-3 non-league football win at Union College at Frank Bailey Field Saturday afternoon. The Bombers improved to 2-0 o the young season while the Dutchmen fell to 0-2.

Senior tighte end Jared Prugar had 165 yards on six catches while Jones had scoring runs of two and four yards. Brian Hardenberg added 10 tackles and two for losses for the visitors, who recorded four sacks. Ithaca had 297 total yards to Union's 222. Quarterback Phil Neumann was 11 for 20 with one interception and 219 yards, and Jones (44 yards) and Tommy Padula (43 yards) led the rushing efforts.

Union quarterback Connor Eck was 15 for 29 with an interception and 140 yards and Joseph Vito caught six passes for 57 yards. T.J. Franzese had 30 yards rushing for the Dutchmen. Defensively, Union was led by Josha Rose, Casey Muse and Thomas Hayes, who recorded seven tackles each. Muse had two tackles for losses.

Ithaca opened the scoring when Jones ran in from two yards with 5:15 remaining in the first quarter. The four play, 16 yard drive consumed 1:43. It began when Sam Carney returned a Union punt 39 yards to the Union 16 with 6:58 left in the first. The Bombers made it 14-0 when Jones scored on a four yard run with 4:19 elapsed in the second quarter. It was a three play, 63 yard drive in 1:16 that began with a 56 yard strike from Neumann to Jared Prugar to bring it to the Union seven.

The Dutchmen got on the board with a David Pope 28 yard field goal with 3:56 left in the half. It was Union's best drive of the day, 14 plays and 65 yards in six minutes and 51 seconds. Eck kept the drive aling with a 22 yard pass to Tosin Kazeem on a third-and-four that gave Union a first down at the Ithaca-12 yard line.

The Bombers scored the only points of the second half on a Garrett Nicholson 20 yard field goal with 5:22 left to play in the third quarter. Ithaca's scoring drive took 11 plays and consumed 81 yards in 5:53. Neumann hit Jared Pruger with a 22 yard pass on a third-and-six to keep the drive going to the Ithaca-42. He followed that up with passes of 27 and 25 yards in the drive.

Union threatened early in the fourth quarter. On the sixth play of a drive, Brian Garvey intercepted a pass for Ithaca at the Bombers-14 yard line with 10:33 left in the fourth quarter.

Union returns home for "Take a Kid to the Game Day" Saturday, September 28 for a 1 p.m. kickoff against St. Lawrence, which is also the Liberty League opener for the Dutchmen. Ithaca opens Empire 8 conference play at Buffalo State next Saturday at 1 p.m.